More Articles

The Dispatch E-Edition

All current subscribers have full access to Digital D, which includes the E-Edition and
unlimited premium content on Dispatch.com, BuckeyeXtra.com, BlueJacketsXtra.com and
DispatchPolitics.com.
Subscribe
today!

NEW YORK — McDonald’s will offer free coffee to customers for a limited time as competition for
the breakfast crowd intensifies.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain said yesterday that participating U.S. locations will offer
small cups of McCafe coffee at no charge during breakfast hours from Monday through April 13.

McDonald’s said this is its first nationwide free-coffee event. Its McCafe product line, which
also includes iced coffees and other drinks, made its debut in the U.S. in 2009.

The Oak Brook, Ill., company hopes that the coffee giveaway will bring in new customers. It’s
also a way to get existing customers to come in more often. And it’s likely that those stopping by
for a free coffee will be tempted to pick up a breakfast sandwich or other items while there.

Those who want a larger coffee as part of this promotion will be able to buy a medium coffee for
25 cents and a large for 50 cents.

In addition, Columbus will be part of a 10-city “sampling tour” that will have a vehicle
stationed at Broad and High streets from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to offer coffee to those who pass
by.

Breakfast is an important component of McDonald’s business, making up about 20 percent of its
U.S. sales.

The announcement comes as Taco Bell rolls out ads to promote its new breakfast menu, which
includes a waffle taco. The ads star everyday men who happen to be named Ronald McDonald, the same
name as McDonald’s mascot.

Chains such as McDonald’s Corp., Taco Bell and Starbucks Corp. — which recently revamped its
sandwiches — are fighting for a piece of the breakfast market because people are increasingly
buying breakfast on the go.

McDonald’s coffee giveaway comes shortly after it reported that an important sales figure
declined 1.4 percent at established U.S. locations in February. The chain blamed bad winter weather
but also said that “challenging industry dynamics” played a role. The company has worked on
adapting by making menu changes such as giving an option for egg whites in breakfast sandwiches and
adding chicken McWraps to help appeal to those looking for fresher, healthier food.

For a long time, McDonald’s, which started offering breakfast nationally in 1975 with the
rollout of the Egg McMuffin, has dominated the morning category. Burger King came out with a
breakfast menu in 1979, and others have followed. The latest is Taco Bell, which launched a
breakfast menu on Thursday.